Spaceflight First Responder Certification

Summary

The definitive spaceflight course in medical training, leadership, and critical thinking for spaceflight, low-resource, and remote professionals and leaders.

The Spaceflight First Responder program is the ideal medical training for leaders who support or enter the spaceflight environment. It is modeled from training traditionally taught to those entering remote areas including wilderness expedition leaders, guides, Special Forces, Naval aerospace personnel, NOAA personnel, professional search and rescue teams, high altitude medical teams, researchers, those involved in disaster relief, and physicians seeking more complex skill sets. The spaceflight curriculum is comprehensive and practical. For commercial suborbital spaceflight, it includes the essential principles and skills required to assess and manage medical problems in spaceflight emergencies of shorter duration. It also includes training on how to lead a medical support team, and how to direct those with lesser or no training in spaceflight first aid.

For those whose mission aspiration is more forward looking to the Moon or Mars, the curriculum addresses medical support in the spacecraft environment, but it is expanded to include attention to lunar or planetary surface emergencies that may be encountered during habitation or exploration, and where care may be required for extended periods. All variants of this training also include a telemedicine component, addressing how to communicate with medical specialists on Earth.

Description

Course Content

The Spaceflight First Responder curriculum is written in-house by a team of remote medical rescue and spaceflight medical researchers and professionals. Ongoing evidence-based research and review contributes to a unique and innovative approach to patient care in austere settings, such as space. The curriculum is comprehensive, complete, and kept current on an annual basis. This is the most current and advanced course of any first response medical training (urban or remote) in the world.

The General Principles of Wilderness, Spaceflight, and Rescue Medicine with an emphasis on the prevention and identification of medical emergencies, appropriate technology, and risk management.

Patient assessment and emergency care including CPR, basic Life support, and the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis and asthma.

As part of our commitment to your medical rescue training, our instructors and management will consult your group’s needs and teach according to your group’s backgrounds, environments, and experience. Simulations and hands-on activities will be realistic and relevant. Relevant adult education is incorporated directly into our curriculum to maximize learning of medical theory into practical skills.

Certifications

This course has several formats including the traditional eight day and offerings over 7 and 5 days. Each include a minimum of 70 hours (80 hours in Canada) of preparation, didactic, and practical time. Upon successful completion, students will receive a Spaceflight First Responder certification and certification of CPR taught to an equivalent health care provider level. Certifications are valid for three years.

Recertification

Recertification can be earned at any time during the three years following your course.

Included Materials

All teaching materials will be at no additional cost. Students will receive the following books on this course:

Wilderness and Rescue Medicine: A Practical Guide for the Basic and Advanced Practitioner

The Field Guide of Wilderness and Rescue Medicine

SOAP Notebook

Evaluation

Successful completion with certification is based on 100% attendance, satisfactory performance on homework assignments and written quizzes, demonstrated proficiency with practical skills and a successful grade on a final written exam.

Prerequisites

Previous medical or scientific training is not required. Students must be at least 16 years old to participate in this course. Those under 18 years of age require the written consent of a parent or guardian.